J&K govt releases 5 political leaders released after over 5 months detention

Officials said that with the latest release, the total number politicians that remain in detention at the MLA hostel in Srinagar is 20.

One of the detention centres - Centaur Hotel in SKICC | Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir administration Thursday released five politicians, including three former legislators, after keeping them in preventive detention for more than five months following the scrapping of Article 370.

Officials said the five mainstream politicians were released from preventive detention in the afternoon.

Among those released were National Conference (NC) leaders Altaf Kaloo (former MLA) and Showkat Ganaie (former MLC), and PDP’s Nizamuddin Bhat, a former MLC.

Former mayor of Srinagar Municipal Corporation and NC leader Salman Sagar and PDP member Mukhtar Bandh were also released.

With the latest release, the total number politicians that remain in detention at the MLA hostel is 20, officials said.

Since 5 August, 44 politicians have been detained and kept at SKICC, excluding the three former chief ministers Farooq and Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti.

Sources said the Jammu and Kashmir administration will release all prisoners soon, except for a few who could mobilise protests such as Omar and Mehbooba.